Before the War: Lives Bearing Witness in Pre‑Revolutionary Albany, New York

Explore the lives - African, English, and Dutch - behind archaeology & newly discovered artifacts, on the eve of the American Revolution. Work, free and enslaved. War, resistance, and freedom. Birth, marriage, death. Explore the years before the American Revolution in celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution as part of the Albany County Historical Association's Crossroads of History Lecture Series. Innovative research techniques using artifacts, art, and documents will also be discussed, plus a guided walk to important archaeological sites on the Ten Broeck Mansion grounds. Location: the talks are held at the Ten Broeck Mansion. Free parking in our off-street lot (adjacent to the lecture site). Please use GPS address 136 Livingston Avenue. Program Schedule: Lectures and Guided Walk: • 12 Noon: Kathryn Kosto, Albany County Historical Association Executive Director, "Peace Was Proclaimed:" Birth & Death, Peace & War in the 1730 Van Den Bergh Bible • 1 pm: Evelyn Kamili King, The African Burial Ground: An Ongoing Revolution for Freedom • 2 pm: Guided Walk Between Enslaved Persons' Living Quarters to Ten Broeck Burial Site, Ten Broeck Mansion Grounds Please register for as many events as you would like, but please keep in mind space is limited. We kindly ask you cancel your tickets if you are not able to attend. October 10 Path Through History Day - make a day of it. All free at the Ten Broeck Mansion & beyond. Tour the Ten Broeck Mansion, meet historians and historical groups, costumed historical interpreters, and enjoy the music of the Revolution with the Village Volunteer Fife & Drum Corps. Plus, Drive, walk, or bike through our region's rich and diverse history. Register for the free Path Through History Ten Broeck Mansion and Albany County tour here. History makes you hungry! Bonus: fresh baked goods for sale by Albany's Cider Belly Doughnuts. All program attendees will have special discounts and offers at nearby Albany Distilling Co. and Common Roots Brewing Company (Albany Location). Register & attend to learn more. About the Speakers: Evelyn Kamili King served as Project Manager for the Schuyler Flatts Burial Project, after archeologists discovered several graves at Schuyler Flatts, Menands, NY, in 2005, containing, in all, 14 individuals. Investigation revealed that the remains were of African descent and roughly 200 years old. That and other data led to the conclusion that they were likely enslaved by the prominent Schuyler family. Ms. King will discuss the discovery and analysis of data, the story of the reburial of the remains, and the topic of slavery in New York State. In addition to managing the Schuyler Flatts Burial Project, Evelyn Kamili King has spent many years working in the public education sector with a focus on advocating for at-risk African American youth. She holds a master’s degree from the College of St. Rose and a bachelor's degree from California State University. Kathryn Kosto, Albany County Historical Association, Executive Director. She previously served as curator of the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow House (Cambridge MA), and an archives specialist with the papers of Frederick Law Olmsted (Brookline MA). She studied 18th century Dutch at Leiden University (Netherlands). She holds a BA in history and the history of art from Yale University and a MA in history from Cornell University. Images: African Burial Ground Memorial and Ceremony, St. Agnes Cemetery, Albany NY; Van Den Bergh Bible, 1730, Collections ACHA.